Promises
by bamboo-bones
Summary: When Kari falls ill in the digiworld, the Digidestined stop progress on destroying the Control Spires. Will this be T.K.'s last chance to tell Kari the truth? A Takari, with some Kenyako.


**Hello again.  
****As you can see, I'm back.  
****With what, you ask?  
****More Takari!  
****But wait, there's more!  
****This comes with a side order of Kenyako!  
****And if you read in the next fifteen minutes,  
****You'll enjoy an extra helping of Davis!  
****Wondering when I thought of this oneshot?  
****Thank you, REM cycles.  
****(Um, that's called sleep; hence, it was a dream.)**

**Standard disclaimers apply.  
****Read and review please!**

* * *

**-Kari-**

Not again.

It wasn't that it was too hard, destroying those Control Spires, it was the fact that the ones we had been breaking down recently were so tough and strong! Of course, Ken was beating himself up about creating them in the first place, and we were assuring him that it at least gave us something to do.

Please, not again.

We had just started leaving towards the next, and amazingly, last area, where the final Control Spire was. Yeah, I was getting tired, maybe a bit winded, but I couldn't let it hinder me, hinder the group. We were getting pretty close, already halfway there. We had just entered a small town. I started falling behind the rest of them.

Here it comes.

I started losing my breath, and fast. I was coughing just to get air into my lungs. At this point, I had to stop walking, trying to let myself calm down. It was working, until the blood came. It was coming from my lungs, up my airway, onto the ground and my shirt. It didn't stop.

Let weakness overcome.

"Kari, you alright back there?" Gatomon had turned to look at me. It was too late for her to get any response; I had already blacked out and collapsed onto the dirt road.

"Kari!"

Strength will rise up.

When I finally came to, I was lying on something soft; a bed? I looked around me, trying to figure out where I was. Suddenly, the memories rushed back, the blood, the windedness, the darkness. Mumbling could be heard, but it seemed like it was coming from far away; it was from Yolei, standing beside me.

"Hey, morning, sleepy-head!" she was smiling. Didn't she see what had happened? I looked down at myself, expecting to see a blood-stained shirt. What replaced it was Davis's jacket. I slowly unzipped it.

"Oh!" I noticed I wasn't wearing anything under it. Zipping it back up as fast as I could, I asked where my shirt was.

"Hawkmon and Armadillomon have a tag-team effort, washing your shirt. You can guess what part of the team Armadillomon's on." She smirked.

Letting out a sigh, I asked where the others were.

"Well, Ken and Cody are with our Digimon, and T.K. and Davis are out looking for medication for you. It's sort of surprising, seeing them work together, without a word between them, from what I could hear. They should be back soon." She paused, and then seemed to have a look of resolve in her eyes. "Hey, I almost forgot! While you were passed out, Gatomon and Patamon seemed to be saying something like, 'Not again, not this again,' were they saying that you've had this before?"

I started to explain to her the time myself, T.K. and our Digimon were in the Digiworld and I fell ill. I tried not to spare any details on when Tai flipped; she seemed amused during that part, for some reason.

With that, I yawned, and went back to sleep.

**-T.K.-**

She was just laying there, blood surrounding her. It was slowly pooling around her mouth. It looked like something from a cheap horror movie, the innocent one being hurt for no apparent reason.

Then the yelling began.

"Kari? Kari! Wake up! Get up!" Yolei suddenly went into nurse mode. "Ken, help me get her into that building over there! Cody, get the door! Davis! T.K.! Find something for her, anything that could help!"

The next few minutes were a total blur. Blankets and pillows were flying everywhere. Yolei told everyone to get out while she changed Kari out of her bloody shirt and into Davis's jacket. We complied, but then I seemed to snap.

It was happening all over again, and I couldn't stop it.

That's when I started running. Jacketless, Davis followed me, deciding that wherever I was going would help Kari. In fact, I had no idea where I was running to. Maybe I was running away from my problems, from Kari being sick. I couldn't have it like this. For the first time, I asked myself:

_What would Tai do?_

That was when I knew what I had to do. Memories of my promise came rushing back; I had to do whatever I could to protect Kari, even if she was already down for the count. Today, she came first. Getting her better was our priority.

And to think, I was going to confess to her today once we had finished with the next Control Spire.

I traveled over to the nearest pharmacy.

Oh, wait.

We were in a deserted, rural town. Where IS the nearest pharmacy? Pulling out my D-Terminal, I searched for one. It's a good thing these have Google.

_Three miles, due south._

Oh, that's just great. My best friend could be, you know, dying, and the nearest pharmacy is three miles away.

"Hey, T.J., can I come with you?" I nodded towards Davis, and he scurried beside me. I tried to block him out, focusing my sudden despair on the road ahead of us, but it was no use. Davis is just too loud. I ignored most of the conversation until he dropped a major question on me.

"So, T.S., what's with you and Kari anyways?"

I stopped in my tracks, glaring at him.

"Promises are made to be kept, Davis. Let's just keep it at that." I became reluctant to say anything else, but Davis kept on prodding me.

"What do you mean, 'promises?' What type of promise, from Tai, a promise to keep her safe? Tell me!" this went on for a few moments, until my will broke.

"Fine, just, don't tell anyone, alright? This was between Sora, Kari, our Digimon and I, so keep it quiet."

I proceeded to tell him about the promise I made Sora during the battle with Piedmon, that I'd take care of Kari, I'd keep her safe. At some point of this lecture, I decided to sit down on a nearby log, and Davis was standing in front of me.

"But, why are you doing all of this now, I mean, that battle was years a-OH I GET IT." He seemed to have a look of shock, amused shock. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" His face changed from shock to anger. "Why the hell would you go after my girl, my Kari?"

"Two things, Davis; One, she's not 'your' girl," I replied, getting just as mad as he was, "and two, yes, I'm in love with her. Is that a problem?"

Oops.

I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that last bit until I told Kari.

Then Davis flipped. His face came inches from mine, only stopping when he was unable to see anything below my chin.

"Alright, T.A., how about a truce? We both stay away from that part of Kari's life, and see what happens?"

Inside, I was laughing hysterically. He thought I'd stay away from Kari? Not a chance.

"I have a better truce. We stay just as we are."

I didn't wait for his reaction, I was continuing down the dirt road towards the pharmacy.

Those three miles didn't come soon enough.

**-Kari-**

When I came to, it was dark out. I wondered how long I was asleep for. Sitting up, I looked around, finding everyone on the floor around me, sleeping, Yolei and Ken, snuggled together on my left, Davis snoring loudly, sprawled at the opposite side of the room, Cody at the foot of the bed with our digital partners surrounding him. T.K. was on my right, holding my now clean and dry shirt in his arms.

Why is everything so much calmer at night?

I was about to turn over and fall back asleep when someone started to stir around me. It was T.K., talking in his sleep. He was mostly whispering, mumbling, but I could make out part of what he was saying.

"Kari… please… don't leave… you're safe with me… I love you, Kari… I love you…"

And then the snoring began.

Did he just…

Did T.K. just say what I think he said?

_No, it was probably a nightmare._ I giggled at that thought. T.K., my best friend, couldn't, you know, love me, right?

I mean, I was in love with him. That was the easy part. Telling him was the hard part. I decided to keep it a secret, for the most part, until I knew he, at least, felt something for me.

And here was my chance, in a bed, sick with a fever, and he was lying on the floor, asleep.

Thank you fate, perfect timing.

Once again, I fell into slumber. That night, I dreamt of him.

T.K. telling me everything when the last Control Spire fell.

T.K. kissing me.

T.K.

**-T.K.-**

Morning came all too soon for us. Yolei, at the crack of dawn, woke us all up, getting us out of the room, prying Kari's shirt from my tired arms. We all knew that we had to get going soon if we wanted to make it to the last Control Spire by the end of the day, but what if Kari gets hurt? What if she gets sick? What if sh-

My train of thought got cut off by Yolei trying to get me to take Kari in my arms. I gladly accepted. Thrusting her sleeping body onto my back, I carried her the rest of the way to the final Spire.

It went down easily enough, a few hits and it crumbled into dust. When the tower hit the ground, making its final sounds, Kari awoke, startled. She was still piggybacked on me.

"Hmm? What's going on?" she saw the tower lying in front of her. "Oh, it's over. Cool."

She yawned and asked if I could put her down. I agreed and set her down slowly. Around us, the other Digidestined were celebrating in small spurts, cheering and jumping together. Davis was pumping his fists into the air, Yolei and Ken were hugging and kissing, relieved that it was finally over. Kari and I stood in the middle of all this, happy, but not as amused as the rest.

She didn't want to get hurt again; I could see it in her eyes that she wanted to jump too, but she looked tired.

I decided to help her out a bit.

She was walking over to the rest of them, going to cheer with them. I decided to run. Not away from her, not this time. There wasn't a problem this time. I ran towards her.

"Kari?"

She turned towards me, smiling a little, as much as she could in her condition. Even that small smirk made me soar. I took her in my arms, lifting her into the air, spinning her around. She was giggling, smiling just that little bit more. It made me laugh with her. Once I put her down, she was just staring at me.

"Is it true?" Her head tilted to one side.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Really, I didn't.

"What you were saying last night. You were talking in your sleep."

Talking in my sleep? What?

Wait.

What was I dreaming about?

Oops.

I guess I already told her, in a way.

"Oh. Right, that." I felt myself go red.

"So, it is true." I saw her go an even deeper shade of red. Oh no, was she getting another fever?

"Hey, are you okay?" I put my hands on her shoulders trying to keep her attention. I was about to get Yolei to see if she was okay when she smiled at me.

"Oh, I am feeling great, T.K., just perfect."

And then she leaned in.

But, of course, I beat her to the punch. My lips met hers in a soft, sweet embrace. Nothing could break this moment of pure joy I was experiencing.

Well, one thing.

"T.K.?"

"Yeah, Kari?"

"I love you too."

Then we went back into another kiss.

I guess at this point, someone had to notice what we were doing.

Someone did.

"Hey! What about our truce?"


End file.
